The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Monday its final rule to repeal carbon emission limits on coal- and gas-fired power plants, a key part of the Trump administration's broader effort to unwind U.S. climate policy. This decision will be revealed on the sidelines of a G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston, where officials will discuss energy security and regulatory efficiency. The EPA stated that the Biden-era rules, which were proposed in June by President Donald Trump's administration, exceeded the agency's authority by requiring control technologies that were not adequately demonstrated, thereby forcing plants into retirement rather than setting achievable standards.
These Biden-era regulations, if implemented, would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1 billion metric tons by 2047 and were projected to prevent 4,500 premature deaths annually. The electricity sector currently accounts for approximately a quarter of U.S. emissions, or roughly 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the repeal would save $310 billion and decrease energy prices, ensuring affordable and reliable energy supplies while boosting national security and reducing costs across various sectors.
However, the move has drawn strong criticism from environmental advocates and experts. Nathaniel Keohane, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, described the decision as "a giant step backward," asserting that the EPA ignored sound science and economics, thus abdicating its responsibility to protect public health. Experts warn that the rollback could add up to 5.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and lead to hundreds of billions of dollars in health damages from pollution-driven diseases and premature deaths. While some researchers are skeptical that coal will see the resurgence the Trump administration hopes for due to falling costs of clean technologies like solar power, the U.S. remains the second-biggest emitter of planet-warming greenhouse gases globally.
